Bulldogs To Host Friendly Against Oxford Sunday

NEW HAVEN, Conn. – The Yale men's soccer team will get an opportunity to test itself against some international competition on Sunday. The Bulldogs will play a friendly against England's Oxford University at 1 p.m. at Reese Stadium. Admission is free.

Oxford is currently on a tour of the United States and will also play Harvard, Columbia, Princeton, the New York Athletic Club and Rutgers. Yale, meanwhile, is just beginning spring practice so the game will give head coach Brian Tompkins a good gauge of where his team stands.

"It is always a fun experience for our players to meet and compete against players from other countries, and we are delighted to have the chance to play Oxford University," Tompkins said. "The game will give us the opportunity to get our first look at the players that will form the nucleus of next fall's team against strong opposition. While U.S. colleges are in their off-season period, the colleges in the UK are in mid-season so we expect a challenging and competitive game against a well-prepared team. While the competition is important, the opportunities for camaraderie and cultural exchange are equally significant, and we look forward to having the chance to meet and get to know students and staff from a school with a similar world-wide reputation for academic excellence."

Yale is coming off a successful 2011 season. The Bulldogs finished with an 8-7-2 overall record and a 4-3 Ivy mark. Yale is tentatively scheduled to open the 2012 season on Aug. 31 at Central Connecticut.